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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. saw — the tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. band — a music group
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — in music
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com